When a utility pole is damaged as a result of an accident or due to natural causes such as decay, the pole is usually replaced. This tends to be an expensive undertaking because of very high labor costs due to highly skilled personnel as well as the expense of a new pole. The more complicated the pole's attachments, the more expensive it is to replace the pole.
In most cases it has been and still is the practice to replace the entire pole, but utilities are at least considering, and from time to time actually using, repair structures in lieu of replacing poles. One replacement structure is the module pole purchased from a company known as the Sherman Company. The Sherman module pole replacement is very costly due to its design. Moreover, at this time the Sherman replacement is no longer available because the Sherman Company no longer makes the module pole.
The patent literature includes a number of configurations for preparing utility poles but to date and to this inventor's knowledge, no utility companies have adopted these configurations and methods to any substantial extent. The module or pole concept which was available from the Sherman Company requires the pole top to be lifted so as to allow a steel sleeve to be slipped over the pole top section and then lowered onto a concrete butt pole. The steel sleeve is then repositioned in a final position to provide bridging of the transition and filling of the void between the steel sleeve and the pole top section with concrete grout. This assembly must be held for an extended period of time of approximately 45 minutes to 11/2 hours to allow setting the grout. The approach available from the Sherman Company is time consuming and difficult as well as not necessarily providing optimal final strength.
Prior art approaches suggested by the patent literature require the use of sleeves which must be slipped over existing pole structure. This requires considerable time and skill and thus considerable expense.